not bring his mind to confent to its demands.

But what evafion can a man find for contradicting his own prayers? Or what shall he be able to anfwer, when God fhall fay to him, "Out of thine own mouth do I

J

condemn thee, thou wicked fervant?" Every request which we make to God, is not only an explicit declaration, that we highly efteem, and ardently defire the benefits we ask, but likewife implies an obligation on our part, to put ourselves in the way of receiving what we afk, and to use all the means in our own power to obtain it. When therefore we do not endeavour to obtain the bleffings which we afk, we plainly declare that we do not heartily defire them. And by afking what we do not defire to obtain, we make it evident that we are prefumptuous diffemblers, who use greater freedom with the all-perfect Being, than we dare to ufe with any of our fellow mortals, who is poffeffed of fufficient power to refent fuch unworthy and abufive treat

ment.

I have just now read to

you a prayer of

the

the Royal Pfalmift, which none of us, I fuppofé, will hefitate to adopt. It confilts of two diftinct petitions; the one refpecting the fpiritual, the other the temporal, profperity of the people over which the providence of God had placed him. And it will readily occur to you, that both these important interefts of the nation' to which we belong, are recommended to our attention in the royal proclamation which hath brought us together this day* What I propose in

the following discourse, marks,

is to make a few re

First, On the matter of David's prayer. Secondly, On the order obferved in the petitions contained in it.

Thirdly, On the temper of mind with which this prayer appears to have been accompanied. I will then fhew what is incumbent on those who addrefs the fame requefts to God, in order to prove the uprightnefs of their hearts, and that they fincerely wish to obtain what they ask.

* Preached December 12. 1776, being the first public Faft after the commencement of the American war.

er:

I begin with the matter of David's pray"Do good in thy good pleasure unto "Zion: build thou the walls of Jerufa"lem."

The first of these petitions hath an obvious reference to the tribes of Ifrael, confidered in their fpiritual ftate, as a religious community, or the true church of God. To thofe who are acquainted with the language of Scripture, it will not be needful to prove, that this is the common acceptation of the term Zion, when it is used in diftinction from Jerufalem. Zion was the unalterable station of the tabernacle, the city of David, and the emblem of that spiritual kingdom which David's Son and Lord was to erect in future times. The bleffing prayed for by the Pfalmift is, that it would please God to do good unto Zion.

This fhort, but comprehenfive requeft, in the mouth of a British and Proteftant Chriftian, includes more particulars than the limits of one difcourfe will permit me to enumerate. I fhall felect a few leading petitions, in which all who come under this description will cordially unite; namely,

That

4

That God, of his infinite mercy, may esta blish and perpetuate what his own right hand wrought for us in the days of our fathers, at the two illuftrious æras of the Reforma→ tion from Popery, and what is justly styled the Glorious Revolution: That the word of the Lord may have free courfe, and be glorified in these lands, as long as the fun and moon endure: That the great truths of the gospel of Chrift may be faithfully published, and successfully defended, both against the attacks of open enemies, and the fecret artifices of those who lie in wait to deceive: That the ordinances of religion may not only be difpenfed in purity, but may be accompanied with power, and rendered effectual for the conviction of finners, and for building up faints in holiness and comfort, through faith unto falvation: That the wickedness of the wicked may come to an end, and the just be established: That the spirit of divition may ceafe, and that the whole multitude of believers may be of one heart and one foul, "following after the "things which make for peace, and things "whereby one may edify another."

S 3

In

fine

fine, that our Zion may be a quiet habi"tation, and a tabernacle that shall not be “ taken down, none of the ftakes whereof "fhall be removed, neither any of the

cords broken: "that God may appoint fal❝vation for walls and bulwarks to her, and "be himself the glory in the midst of her :" «Clothing her priests with righteousness, "that all her faints may fhout aloud for “joy.” In these, and fuch particulars, confifteth the good of Zion." Christ loved his

church, and gave himself for it, that he "might fanctify and cleanfe it with the "wathing of water by the Word, that he

might prefent it to himself a glorious "church, not having fpot or wrinkle, or 35 any such thing, that it might be holy and "without blemish." For this end he lived, and for this end he died, "That he might "redeem us from all iniquity, and purify "unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

The other petition contained in the text, "build thou the walls of Jerusalem," hath a reference to the civil state of the Jews as adcommonwealth or kingdom, and is a

prayer